Daily Current Affairs : 19th and 20th November 2023

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CSE

Topics Covered

1. Border Peace and Tranquility Agreement  
2. Myanmar Civil War
3. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) technology & Chimeras
4. Role of Governor in Legislature
5. Facts for Prelims

1 . Border Peace and Tranquility Agreement

Context: Thirty years ago, officials from both sides, meeting in the aftermath of the Sumdorong Chu stand-off that strained relations, thrashed out what would be a historic first ever border agreement between the neighbours who had, in 1962, fought a war. 

About the Agreement

• The Border Peace and Tranquility Agreement (BPTA or MPTA; formally the Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility along the Line of Actual Control in the India–China Border Areas) is an agreement signed by China and India in September 1993, agreeing to maintain the status quo on their mutual border pending an eventual boundary settlement. 
• The Agreement on Military Confidence Building Measures, 1996, pursuant to the 1993 agreement, incrementally details the military confidence building measures to be implemented that would ensure no-war 
• It was signed in September 1993 during Prime Minister Narasimha Rao’s visit to China. 
• It, for the first time saw both sides legally commit to respecting the status quo and reduce the risk of an unplanned confrontation. 
• For at least two decades, the BPTA, and subsequent agreements that it paved the way for, helped keep the peace on the longest undemarcated border in the world. 
• Yet, the limited nature of the agreement would also ironically push both countries into an infrastructure race, ultimately leading to increasingly frequent incidents, starting in 2013, culminating in the deadly clash at Galwan in June 2020. 

2 . Myanmar Civil War

Context: In a spillover of the civil war in Myanmar, more than 1,500 nationals of India’s neighbouring country, took refuge in Mizoram’s Champhai district recently following a gunfight between the Myanmar Army, and pro-democracy militias in the country’s western Chin State abutting Mizoram. 

Situation in Myanmar:  

• The attacks in Chin State coincidentally followed a major coordinated attack on regime forces by three ethnic armed groups, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Arakan Army (AA) in Myanmar’s north Shan State abutting China. 
• The coordinated attacks, termed “Operation 1027” on October 27, by the Three Brotherhood Alliance as the three groups called their collective, led to serious setbacks for the junta’s forces in Shan State and brought about a sequence of other rebel attacks ,including those in the Chin State. 
•  Scores of military outposts and bases were either abandoned by the junta forces or were captured by the rebels, with the UN stating that 60,000 people in Shan State and 2,00,000 overall in the country have been displaced following the current hostilities taking the total number of civilian displacements to more than two million since the coup. 

Cause of the Civil War:  

• In 2021, a new junta, the State Administration Council (SAC) dominated by the Myanmar armed forces, organised a military coup that ousted the civilian National League for Democracy-government and detained its leader Aung San Suu Kyi among many other legislators and party officials. 
•  The junta said it captured power because of irregularities in the 2020 elections, even though international observers called the elections fair. 
• The coup led to the collapse of the democratic phase that opened up after the 2008 Constitution. The Constitution allowed for reserving 25% of the Parliament of Myanmar for serving military officers, and control over home, border affairs and defence by the military, thereby limiting civilian powers. 
• After the coup, there were nationwide protests and civil disobedience campaigns, leading to what was called the “Spring Revolution”. 
• Members of the deposed NLD and other elected ethnic lawmakers formed a new political body called the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (or National Parliament in Burmese), which along with other civil society actors, ethnic party representatives and others later formed the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) — a dialogue platform seeking to unite pro-democratic forces.  
• The NUCC agreed upon a “federal democratic charter” (FDC) that sought to come up with a future constitution, and a political roadmap to a “federal democratic” country to be led by a National Unity Government (NUG) that was announced in 2021. 
• A final publication of the FDC happened in 2022, after incorporating ethnic demands of recognition and equality for non-Bamar minority identities. The United States Institute of Peace argues that the resistance is now “led by the most inclusive political coalition in Myanmar’s history”. 
• The junta responded by violently cracking down on the largely peaceful movement leading to the NUG announcing the creation of People’s Defense Forces (PDF), and in 2021, explicitly gave the call for the PDF and other rebels to attack the junta, launching a civil war. 

What has been the ethnic organisations’ response to the coup? 

• The ethnic armed actors, despite coming under severe attack over the years from the Tatmadaw, have managed to establish autonomous enclaves in their areas. 
• With the Tatmadaw unable to defeat them entirely, it signed ceasefires with groups that allowed them to retain arms and some autonomy in minority areas, a situation that persists even today. 
•  The ethnic armed groups’ responses to the insurrection call by the NUG have been varied. 
•  Groups such as the Karen (Karen National Union), Kachin (Kachin Independence Organization), Chin (Chin National Front) and Karenni (Karenni National Progressive Party) rebels support the NUG, fighting the army and helping forming anti-coup militias.  

What happened after Chin was targeted? 

• The junta’s first punitive action against ethnic armed organisations was targeted at those in Chin State in 2021, an initiative that failed but resulted in several refugees fleeing to Mizoram and Manipur in India. 
• While New Delhi passed strictures not to open camps or provide assistance, the Mizoram government defied the Union government’s order to deport the refugees and allowed them to take shelter.  
• The Mizo people regard those from the Chin community as ethnic brethren. The influx of refugees in Manipur has heightened the ethnic conflict between the Kuki-Zo community and the majority Meiteis in the State. 
• Eight groups including the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), New Mon State Party (NMSP), Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO) initially joined the NUCC dialogue, but after the junta’s crackdown, decided to retain their ceasefire status with the junta. 
•  The TNLA, the Kokang-based MNDAA, and other northern groups in Shan State, besides the Rakhine state based AA used the post-coup situation to strengthen themselves without provoking the junta. 
•  However, the Brotherhood Alliance between the MNDAA, AA and the TNLA and its attack on the junta forces has changed equations suddenly, increasing the number of battlefields for the junta and stretching it thin. 

China’s reaction

• Myanmar’s closest ally, China, has leverage over some of the northern ethnic armed forces that are now engaged against the junta. 
• While Beijing has publicly called for a cessation in hostilities, experts aver that the Chinese are willing to tolerate the actions as the rebels have evinced interest in reining in illicit activities such as “telecom scam centres” in the Kokang zone. 
•  The MNDAA announced that it is planning to attack the Laukkai township in Kokang which is controlled by junta-affiliated militias and is also host to many cybercrime compounds.  
• These illicit centres have trapped thousands of Chinese nationals besides many from Southeast Asia, forcing them to carry out internet fraud, theft and cybercrime activities targeting Chinese citizens and others. 

3 . Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) technology & Chimeras

Context: Researchers made attempts to grow full human organs inside the bodies of animals using advancements in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) technology. 

What are Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells? 

• iPSC are derived from skin or blood cells that have been reprogrammed back into an embryonic-like pluripotent state that enables the development of an unlimited source of any type of human cell needed for therapeutic purposes. 
• For example, iPSC can be prodded into becoming beta islet cells to treat diabetes, blood cells to create new blood free of cancer cells for a leukemia patient, or neurons to treat neurological disorders. 
• The iPS cell technology provides an opportunity to generate cells with characteristics of ES cells, including pluripotency and potentially unlimited self-renewal.  
• Studies have reported a directed differentiation of iPS cells into a variety of functional cell types in vitro. 

Advantages of iPS cells over embryonic stem cells 

• The advantage of iPS cells is that they are not derived from human embryos, which is the ethical concern in this field.  
• By removing the bioethical issues, the scientists are more likely to obtain more funding and support.  
• iPS cell technology would permit for creation of isogenic control cell lines using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing that are genetically tailored to model a disease phenotype. 

Risk associated with iPS cells use in Humans

• The retroviruses used in the generation of iPSCs are associated with cancer because they insert DNA anywhere in a cell’s genome, which could potentially trigger the expression of cancer-causing genes. 
•  Another risk associated with iPS cell technology applied to humans is the fact that c-Myc, which is one of the genes used in reprogramming, is a known oncogene whose overexpression could also cause cancer.  
• Successful reprogramming rate in human iPS cells from fibroblasts is fairly low (<0.02%) in certain non-dividing cell types such as PBMCs or elderly skin fibroblasts. 

Chimeras 

• A genetic chimaera is a single organism composed of cells of more than one distinct genotype (or genetic makeup). 
• The animal kingdom has several examples of varying degrees of chimerism. The half-sider budgerigar, a type of common parakeet widely adopted as pets, has different colours on either side of its body due to chimerism.  
• Natural chimaeras occur when the genetic material in one cell changes and gives rise to a clonal population of cells different from all the other cells. 
• It can also result from twin or multiple pregnancies evolving into a single foetus or a twin foetus being absorbed into a singleton. 
• Most chimaeras are detected during routine blood tests in hospitals or when family members undergo tests ahead of an organ transplant. 

4 . Role of Governor in State Legislature

Context: Tamil Nadu Governor R. N. Ravi has ‘withheld’ assent for certain Bills passed by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. This follows the Supreme Court expressing ‘serious concern’ over inaction by the Governor on Bills presented for his assent. The court expressed displeasure on similar delays by Governors of Telangana, Punjab and Kerala. 

What does the Constitution say? 

• Article 200 of the Constitution lays down that when a Bill, passed by a State Legislature, is presented to the Governor for their assent, they have four alternatives, may give assent to the Bill; may withhold assent to the Bill, that is, reject the Bill in which case the Bill fails to become law; may return the Bill (if it is not a Money Bill) for reconsideration of the State Legislature; or may reserve the Bill for the consideration of the President. 
• As held by the Supreme Court in various cases including the Shamsher Singh case (1974), the Governor does not exercise their discretionary powers while withholding assent or returning a Bill to the State Legislature. 
• They are required to act as per the advice of the Council of Ministers. 
• The situation of ‘withholding assent’ may arise in case of a Private Members’ Bill (any Member of State Legislature other than a Minister) passed by the State Legislature, which the council of ministers do not want to be enacted into a law. 
• In such an instance, they would advise the Governor to ‘withhold assent’. However, this is an unlikely scenario as the council of ministers who enjoy a majority in the Legislative Assembly would not allow the passage of such a Bill. Secondly, if the incumbent government whose Bill has been passed by the legislature falls or resigns before it is assented to by the Governor, the new council may advise the Governor to ‘withhold assent’. 
• The return of any Bill to State Legislature for reconsideration is also to be done based on ministerial advice. However, Governors in the past have exercised their discretion in returning Bills, like the Tamil Nadu Governor with respect to the Bill prohibiting online gambling. However, the Governor shall assent to such a Bill if it is passed again by the State Legislature. 
• The Governor must reserve certain Bills, like those which reduce the powers of the High Court, for the consideration of the President.  
• They may also reserve Bills on concurrent list that are repugnant to a Union law based on ministerial advice. 
• It is only under rare circumstances that the Governor may exercise their discretion, where they feel that the provisions of the Bill will contravene the provisions of the Constitution and therefore, should be reserved for the consideration of the President. 
• It must however be noted that the Constitution does not lay down any time limit within which the Governor is required to make a decision. 

What were the recommendations? 

• The Sarkaria Commission (1987) has submitted that it is only the reservation of Bills for consideration of the President, that too under rare cases of unconstitutionality, that can be implied as a discretionary power of the Governor. 
• Save in such exceptional cases, the Governor must discharge his functions under Article 200 as per the advice of ministers.  
• It further recommended that the President should dispose of such Bills within a maximum period of six months. 
•  In the event of the President ‘withholding assent’, the reasons should be communicated to the State Government wherever possible.  
• The Punchhi Commission (2010), had recommended that the Governor should take a decision with respect to a Bill presented for their assent within a period of six months. However, these recommendations have not been implemented till date. 

How can this impasse be resolved? 

• The underlying disease that has plagued our federal set up has been the politicisation of the gubernatorial post. 
• Many political leaders starting from C. N. Annadurai to Nitish Kumar have called for the abolition of the Governor’s post in the past. However, as per our Constitutional scheme, there is a need for a nominal head of the State executive just like the President for the Union executive. 
• Further, the Governor acts as an appointee of the Centre who may be required for maintaining the unity and integrity of the nation in critical times. However, federalism is a basic feature of our Constitution and the Governor’s office should not undermine the powers of elected governments at the States. 
• As the Supreme Court observed, it is necessary for the Governors and Chief Ministers to do ‘a little bit of soul-searching’.  
• The Constitution may be amended to provide that the Chief Ministers shall be consulted before appointment of the Governors. 
• The recommendation of the Punchhi Commission that Governors may be removed through an impeachment by the State Legislature can also be considered.  
• This would arm the State legislatures with the power to remove an uncooperative Governor. These amendments would have a salutary effect on the Central and State Governments resulting in responsible cooperation in the matters of appointment and functioning of the Governors. 

5 . Facts for Prelims

Nike Apache rocket

• The Nike Apache, also known as Argo B-13, was a two-stage sounding rocket developed by Aerolab, later Atlantic Research, for use by the United States Air Force and NASA.  
•  It became the standard NASA sounding rocket and was launched over 600 times between 1961 and 1978. 
• Nike Apache was the first rocket launched by India from the TERLS (Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station) of Kerala in November 1963. 

Freemartinism

• Freemartinism is a condition that can result from twinning of a heifer calf with a bull calf. 
• It affects the heifer twin, and is characterised by an underdeveloped reproductive tract.  
• The condition arises when the blood supplies of the two placentas of the twins merge together (anastomose) so that the calves share a common blood supply. 
• Phenotypically, the animal appears female, but various aspects of female reproductive development are altered due to acquisition of anti-Müllerian hormone from the male twin.  

Lachchit Borphukan 

• Lachit Borphukan was an Ahom Borphukan, primarily known for commanding the Ahom Army and the victory in the Battle of Saraighat (1671) that thwarted an invasion by the vastly superior Mughal Forces under the command of Ramsingh I. 
• He was the inspiration behind strengthening India’s naval force and revitalising inland water transport and creating infrastructure associated with it due to his great naval strategies. 
• The Lachit Borphukan gold medal is awarded to the best cadet from the National Defence Academy. 

GI-tagged Onattukara sesame   

• Kerala is taking efforts to expand the cultivation of Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged Onattukara sesame, a unique and valuable agricultural product. 
• Onattukara Ellu and its oil are famous for its unique health benefits. Relatively higher antioxidant content in Onattukara Ellu helps in fighting the free radicals, which destroy the body cells. Also, the high content of unsaturated fat makes it beneficial for heart patients.